by Hope
I LOVE my cash only budget. It’s definitely helping me curb any extraneous spending and frankly, using cash feels good. BUT, I have found another trick that has helped me even more…
Walmart Grocery Pickup (Delivery is not available in our tiny town!) Since I don’t have a readily available car all the time, it has been a God send. Not only does it make me possible for me to do my grocery shopping at my convenience, but pick up is amazing.
I literally pull up, input what parking spot number I’m in, and they come out with my groceries and load them into the trunk for me. Voila! So easy.
And the best part is…this way of shopping eliminates any and all extraneous grocery shopping. We make a meal plan (each of the kids cooks at least one meal a week,) and then shop based on that list.
I did have to learn some of the tricks though…
- Allow substitutions. They are not allowed to go down in quality or up in price, so you typically get a pretty good deal. (The only downside is that they can change flavors, which might be an issue.)
- I can’t do same day shopping/pick up. That might be available in larger markets, but not in our area. So we must think ahead.
- You can edit your order after you submit it. So don’t worry if you forgot something or need to remove something, they will give you some time to edit the order before its finalized.
The bottom line is that in addition to the convenience, this new method of grocery shopping is definitely saving me money! Here’s to more savings every day!
Have you used Walmart Grocery or a similar service in your area? Any tips or tricks?
Use my Walmart link here: http://r.wmt.co/mV6IA and enjoy $10 off your first order from Walmart Grocery.
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager helping clients grow their business and work more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, & tech solutions. She’s recently become an empty nester as her 5 foster/adoptive kids have spread their wings. She lives with her 5 dogs in a small town in NE Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She struggles with the travel bug and is doing her best to help each of her kids as their finish schooling and become independent (but it’s hard!) She has run her own consulting company for almost twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the Spring of 2015 and feels like she has finally in a place to really focus on making wise financial decisions.
Go ahead and say yes to substitutions … when they come to your car they should tell you (and show you!) what they substituted. You can always tell them you don’t want it if they change flavors, etc and they will credit you appropriately. At least this way you will get the option vs just being told they were out of xyz. Hope that helps – I am a full time working mom with two boys and I love the pick up option at Walmart!!!
We use Harris Teeter here, and I love ordering online. We have a 4 hour time limit — so we can do same day, which is nice.
I, too, feel as if it limits excess spending.
I just used it for the first time last Saturday and really like it, too. Such a time saver and great way to stay in budget.
I’ve done that before and it’s pretty convenient. But it was really hard to meet the minimum order.
I’ve found Walmart doesn’t always have the best prices or quality on groceries. Have you done a price comparison with a local grocer? It still might be worth it for the convenience of pickup. Especially produce it’s typically poor quality and higher prices than standard grocery stores. It seems they only have good prices on some generic staples and convenience foods. At least that was the case in the several states I’ve lived in.
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I regulary use Walmart Grocery pick up and find it is a real time and money saver. Time because I can add items during the week and do not have to go in the store and wait for check out. Money saver because I am not tempted with impulse purchases.
I agree about the substitutions. The ones I use send me an email before I arrive so I can see the substitute. This is helpful.
I also use Kroger grocery pick up which has a small charge for grocery pick up. The substitutions are a bit more user friendly since I can put a note like only substitute shredded cat food if items are not available or my cats only like this kind of cat litter. I compare the prices and purchase from the one that is less expensive.
I like both services because I can plan my trip to the grocery store and better budget.
I love the service but wish there was a sustainable way to approach it. I’ve had three bell peppers in one bag, a lemon in it’s own bag with nothing else, razors in a bag alone, etc… I will order 25 things and get 18 bags. For real.
For someone who tries to avoid plastic at all costs, it’s a problem. Last time, I emptied everything out of bags in to my own reusable ones and watched the person who brought them to me throw the bags in the garbage.
All this said, when I had foot surgery, this was a lifesaver. I have written asking for sustainable environmental options, and I’m hoping they look in to that!
My brother and his wife use Walmart pickup. At theirs, you can return plastic bags on a later trip. Check yours and see if that is an option.
Agree Kiara. I’ve had the same experience with Stop and Shop’s Peapod and Target Pickup. I don’t believe the bags are really recycled if you bring them back so I just can’t bring myself to do it.
Amazon has a grocery option where I live. You can either order from Whole foods; which is expensive, or you can do Amazon Fresh. Both of these services are delivered straight to your door.